Coupling and steering apparatus for a single screw tug



COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUG 7 Filed Nov. 23,1955 Jam 27, 1959 J. P. ARMSTRONG EI'AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

J. P. ARMSTRONG ET AL 2,870,734

Jan. 27, 1959 COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUGFiled Nov. 23, 1955 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 Mv QE A TTORNEYS.

COUPLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR A SINGLE SCREW TUG John PercyArmstrong and John Donald Hoffpauir, Orange, Tex.

This invention relates to a device for permitting the backing orstopping of a single screw tug. The invention further concerns acoupling and steering apparatus for bringing a single screw tug to acontrolled position with respect to a lighter or barge which is beingpushed by the tug.

It is an object of this invention to provide a relatively simple andeasily operated device for accomplishing the results set forth above.provide an apparatus of this type having means for counteracting thesidewise thrust of a single screw tug while backing. Still anotherobject is to provide a novel means for steering a single screw tug withrespect to the tow during backing and stopping operations.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will further becomeapparent hereinafter, and in the drawings, whereof:

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a single screw tug, showing how it isconnected to the tow in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view looking outboard, as indicated by thelines and arrows IIII which appear in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged view in side elevation of a sheave blockshown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 represents a sectional view taken as indicated by the lines andarrows lV-IV which appear in Fig. 3.

Turning to the drawings, a tug 5 has a single screw 6. Its bow isconnected pivotally at 7 to a barge 8.

Located on the stern deck of tug 5 is a power winch 11 accommodating twocables 9, 9' which are Wound in opposite directions on each end of thecable drum of the winch 11. Cables 9, 9' are heavy cables, preferablyabout 1% inches in diameter. Winch 11 is powered by a hydraulic pump 30,a hydraulic motor 31, and a fourway valve 32. The valve 32 may belocated on the stern deck near the motor 31, or elsewhere. The valve 32may be operated pneumatically by means of an air cylinder 33 attached tothe valve 32 which in turn is connected to and controlled by an airvalve 34 located in the pilot house. Other conventional control meansmay, of

course, be substituted.

Each cable 9, 9' passes around a pulley 17, through a sheave 25 on atraveling sheave'block 10, and the bitter end of each cable 9, 9' isattached to a small hand winch 14 located at the stern of the tug. Twocables 16, 16' are attached to the sheave blocks N9, extend aroundroller chocks 18, and are secured to the bitts 20 of the barge 8.

As appears in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, each sheave block 10 is located betweenthe deck 21 and the rail 22 and has capacity for reciprocating movementfore and aft.

In operation, the small hand winches 14 are used to tighten the cables9, 9' and 16, 16' when the tug is attached to the barge, and to slackenthe cable when the tub is released. As either cable 9, 9 is tightened orloosened, the corresponding sheave block it} moves aft A more specificobject is to States Patent or forward, respectively. When the cable 9 isdrawn taut by the power winch 11, the cable 9' is let out and the tubassumes an angular position relative to the barge as shown by the dashlines B in Fig. 1. Conversely, when the cable 9' is tightened by thewinch 11, the cable 9 is slackened and the tug assumes an angularposition as illustrated by the dash lines C, for example. In any event,the relative angular position of the tug is controllable from the pilothouse.

This invention enables the tug to be steered in such manner that the tugand barges are steered as a unit. In backing or stopping, the positionof the tug and barges can be controlled to port or starboard asconditions require by simply operating the winch 11 in the desireddirection. This is an advantageous feature, since steering while backingor stopping has heretofore been very difiicult when using a single screwtug. The arrangement of this invention is further advantageous in thatit counteracts the sidewise thrust of a single screw tug while backing.

Although this invention has been described with reference to a specificform thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications may bemade in the form of the control means and in the manner of actuation ofthe power winch, and that various equivalent elements may be substitutedfor those specifically shown and described. Moreover, parts may bereversed and certain features may be used independently of others, allwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims. I

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. In combination, a single screw tug and a barge, means pivotallyconnecting the forward end of said tug to an end of said barge, a pairof sheave carriers slidably connected to said tug, one at each sidethereof, with capacity for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly.

of said tug, a pair of sheaves, one carried by each of said sheavecarriers, a pair of lines, one trained around each of said sheaves,means maintaining an end of each of said lines in adjusted and fixedposition relative to said tug, a pair of winch means on said tugconnected to the other ends of said lines, each winch means beingconnected to a respective end, for paying out and winding in said lines,and a pair of sheave carrier positioning lines, each fixed respectivelyto one of said sheave carriers and each of said positioning linesextending forwardly of said tug to a corresponding side of said bargeand secured thereto.

2. In combination, a single-screw tug and a barge, means connecting saidtug to said barge, a pair of sheave means slidably connected to said tugone at each side thereof, each said sheave means including a sheave anda slidable carrier therefor, means supporting each said sheave carriermeans for reciprocating sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly alongsaid side of said tug toward and away from said barge, a power winchmounted on said tug at a location remote from said barge, a pair oflines each connected to said power winch, for letting out and winding insaid lines, one of said lines being let out whenever the other is woundin, said lines extending from said power winch each to an opposite sideof said tug at a location more distant from said tow than said sheavemeans, and each said line then Patented Jan. 27, 1959' means pivotallyconnecting'theforward end of said tug centrally toan endofi said barge apair of sheavewcarriers wardly ofvsaidusheave carriers, a PQWerWinchalso, fixed to said tug-qrearwardlyvof said, sheave carriers, said powerv winchhaving acable windingdrum rotatable about ,an axiswhichextends,substantially in'the direction of the longitudinal axis'ofsaidt :alpair of cable pulleysfixed to said tug adjacent .thesidesthereof and rearwardly of saidsheave carriers, cables extending from.each hand winch aroundthe correspondingsheave around said cable 15 ,7,9

pulley and on said drum, said cables being wound'in opposite directionsonsaid drum so that either cable is let out when the other is Wound up,roller chocks carried by the tug forwardly of said slidable sheavecarriers, and cables fixed to said sheave carriers independently of saidsheaves, said cables extending against said roller checks and fixed tocorners of the end of the barge.

References Cited in the file of this patent 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS129,844 McCreary July 23, 1872 323,639 Cowden Aug. 4, 1885 344,612Balletto June 29, 1886 627,585 Manton June 27, 1889 Dyer Nov. 8, 1955

